For over 300 years, first gaslights and then electric lamps have been an important decorative element of Charleston's streetscape. Below is a sampling of photographs from around the Historic District:

ON RIGHT: One of a pair of streetside entranceway lamps at the S.C. Society Hall

Hibernian Hall

among the largest and most ornate lamps in the city

127 King St.

lamps and arches create a visual counterpoint

Mills House Hotel

the reconstructed hotel features original detailing

37 State St.

a unique and unusual light fixture

1 Maiden Lane

lamps on the Indigo Inn

100 Wentworth St.

an entranceway lamp at Grace Church

Lodge Alley

a lone, working gaslamp on an ivy-covered wall in Lodge Alley

192 East Bay St.

gaslamps and windows

Gateway Walk

vines surround the lamp over the entrance to Gateway Walk

71 Church St.

period fixtures frame the entrance to one of the city's oldest homes